Beastly Bones by William Ritter (Jackaby #2)

Yesterday I posted my review for Jackaby. Such a fun start to the series! Today I want to talk about Beastly Bones, the second book in the Jackaby series. This is my favorite book in the series so far. It had the most humor, a great mystery, and even a spark of romance.

Beastly Bones by William Ritter

About Beastly Bones

“I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality . . .”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, members of a particularly vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens. A day later, their owner is found murdered, with a single mysterious puncture wound to her neck. Then, in nearby Gad’s Valley, dinosaur bones from a recent dig go missing, and an unidentifiable beast attacks animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Policeman Charlie Cane, exiled from New Fiddleham to the valley, calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Beastly Bones, the second installment in the series, delivers the same quirky humor and unforgettable characters as Jackaby, the book the Chicago Tribune called “Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Find the Book

Download The Map (a Jackaby Story) for FREE

Perfect for fans of Jackaby who are desperately awaiting the release of its sequel, Beastly Bones, this novella-length story follows the rollicking events of Abigail Rook’s birthday celebration.

Abigail hopes that her birthday will slip by unnoticed and uncelebrated, but her employer, detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby, has other plans. Using magical party crackers that teleport the pair to unknown destinations in time and space and a cryptic map that may lead to a forgotten treasure, Jackaby intends to give Abigail what he considers to be the best gift of all–adventure.

Abigail and Jackaby must tame an enormous (and carnivorous) rabbit, defend a castle, and master a dirigible if they want to find the treasure and get back to New Fiddleham alive.

My Thoughts on Beastly Bones

This series has grown on me exponentially and I’m only done with the second book. I can’t wait to see where the story is going next and what mysteries Jackaby and Abigail will unearth in Ghostly Echoes.

Beastly Bones picks up right where Jackaby leaves us, with the investigation of a cat morphing into a fish. As it turns out, there is much more to this mystery than a simple metamorphosis. Abigail and Jackaby head out to Gad’s Valley where an unusual dinosaur skeleton is being unearthed. They meet back up with Charlie (a police detective and Abigail’s love interest) and begin to look into the disappearance of one of the dinosaur’s bones.

In this book, we get to know the characters in greater depth. For all of Jackaby’s detached matter-of-fact-ness, his attachment to Abigail peeks through every now and then. They work well together and develop a sibling-like bond between them. I especially like the moments when Jackaby is human enough to offer Abigail his respect, kindness, or a pep talk.

This is a great series with lots of humor, mystery, paranormal creatures, and one really awful hat. Don’t miss these books! They kept me up past my bedtime for several nights and I neglected everything else just to read. I haven’t gotten that much enjoyment out of a book in a long time. Highly recommended, but bring your sense of humor with you.

Content: Very mild cursing (maybe two in the whole book) and fantasy violence.

Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts expressed are my own.

5 STARS

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